Expansion Vessel for potable hot water

[Guest]

I currently have an expansion vessel for my boat hot water system, which functions very well. Alas it is one for central heating systems, and I am starting to get rusty coloured hot water. Can anybody point me towards a supplier who may sell one for potable hot water systems?

 

Many Thanks.

[smileypete]

I currently have an expansion vessel for my boat hot water system, which functions very well. Alas it is one for central heating systems, and I am starting to get rusty coloured hot water. Can anybody point me towards a supplier who may sell one for potable hot water systems?

The potable ones are generally white or blue as opposed to red, a trawl of Ebay might turn up a bargain.

 

cheers, Pete.

~smpt~

[ditchcrawler]

The potable ones are generally white or blue as opposed to red, a trawl of Ebay might turn up a bargain.

 

cheers, Pete.

~smpt~

http://www.asap-supplies.com/search/hot+water/hotpot-accumulator-and-expansion-tank-520608

[alan_fincher]

The potable ones are generally white or blue as opposed to red, a trawl of Ebay might turn up a bargain.

 

cheers, Pete.

~smpt~

Oft repeated, but in my experience they are regularly red....

 

Like the Hotspot ones just listed above.

 

Or most of the SureJust range of Expansion Tanks

 

I'd ignore the colour, and concentrate on the description.

[blackrose]

Mine is red and it's for potable water.

[Guest]

Thanks folks. I too thought the "proper" item would be blue or white. Just goes to show yer.

 

These are on fleabay. Suitable?

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12-litre-Potable-Expansion-Vessels-Unvented-Hot-Water-Best-Prices-Zilmet-Elbi-/160889072907?pt=UK_Home_Garden_Hearing_Cooling_Air&hash=item2575bc6d0b

Edited November 18, 2012 by Guest

[Phil Ambrose]

I have a red one at the stern of my boat and a blue one at the bows.

 

Phil

[alan_fincher]

Thanks folks. I too thought the "proper" item would be blue or white. Just goes to show yer.

Ours isn't!

 

[miq]

Are you sure the ferrous part of the system is an integral part of the expansion tank and not just an external adaptor? Sorry to state the obvious, but something similiar happened on our boat due to (previous owners)need to fit a reducer which was presumably not available in brass at the plumbing supplier he/she used!

[Guest]

Are you sure the ferrous part of the system is an integral part of the expansion tank and not just an external adaptor? Sorry to state the obvious, but something similiar happened on our boat due to (previous owners)need to fit a reducer which was presumably not available in brass at the plumbing supplier he/she used!

Thanks. I don't think so, but will check it out. I may just have done something silly when I fitted it some time ago.

 

Ours isn't!

 

 

Inded it isn't! I could always paint it

Edited November 18, 2012 by Guest

[ditchcrawler]

Are you sure the ferrous part of the system is an integral part of the expansion tank and not just an external adaptor? Sorry to state the obvious, but something similiar happened on our boat due to (previous owners)need to fit a reducer which was presumably not available in brass at the plumbing supplier he/she used!

On mine the bolt on end that clamps the bladder and provides a union was made of coated steel, it failed after 10 years so I had a stainless steel one made up.

[Guest]

On mine the bolt on end that clamps the bladder and provides a union was made of coated steel, it failed after 10 years so I had a stainless steel one made up.

Interesting. I will look at that when I next go down.

[smileypete]

.

Edited November 20, 2012 by smileypete

[the grinch]

as a plumber I can say I have never seen a Potable water vessel in RED! White & Blue are the 2 main colours along with silver (although shock arresters tend to be predominately silver) I'm not say red are not suitable only I personally in 25 years in the business have never seen one.

 

incorrect EV's in red fitted to water seen loads!!

 

edit to add:

potable water EV's are readily available in most plumbers merchants!

Edited November 20, 2012 by hamsterfan

[DJW]

Is there any reason why you can't use a plastic expansion vessel? Our engine has a plastic expansion bottle which fills as the engine coolant heats up.

 

Assuming you could find one the right size, couldn't the same type of bottle could be connected to the calorifier and used to allow for potable water expansion? It obviously wouldn't rust and, being translucent, you'd be able to see how much water pressure it takes away from the calorifier, so you'd know that it was doing its job.

 

Or is there a reason why this wouldn't work?

 

 

ETA: Sorry to hijack the thread slightly but I'm looking to fit an expansion vessel to our calorifier

Edited December 12, 2012 by DJW

[Yamanx]

If the water goes into the bladder, why are you getting rust coloured water from the expansion tank? Unless the bladder is split, then of course it won't be working

[Sean & Coral]

as a plumber I can say I have never seen a Potable water vessel in RED! White & Blue are the 2 main colours along with silver (although shock arresters tend to be predominately silver) I'm not say red are not suitable only I personally in 25 years in the business have never seen one.

 

incorrect EV's in red fitted to water seen loads!!

 

edit to add:

potable water EV's are readily available in most plumbers merchants!

 

Hamsterfan, also as a fellow professional, I agree, BLUE and WHITE only for potable water vessels, although the RED is pretty much the norm in most boats. Screwfix, or any good high street merchant sell the correct ones for a pretty good price.

[Justme]

If the water goes into the bladder, why are you getting rust coloured water from the expansion tank? Unless the bladder is split, then of course it won't be working

 

 

Not all of them have bladders. Some work by having an air space above the water.

 

 

If it has a bladder see if you can swap it.

 

Also for potable I would always fit it with the fixings at the bottom so that you dont get a build up of solids.

[blackrose]

My accumulator tank came from UXbridge Boat Centre (in red) and it's marine grade and stainless inside. My hot water expansion vessel came from Screwfix (also in red), but it wasn't for potable water because after 6 years it failed and is full of rust. I've been back down to UBC as they seem slightly cheaper as the plumber's merchants. They still have the same marine grade red tanks with stainless insides.

 

Not all of them have bladders. Some work by having an air space above the water.

 

 

If it has a bladder see if you can swap it.

 

Also for potable I would always fit it with the fixings at the bottom so that you dont get a build up of solids.

 

Why don't you want one with a bladder?

[ditchcrawler]

If the water goes into the bladder, why are you getting rust coloured water from the expansion tank? Unless the bladder is split, then of course it won't be working

On mine the pipe work enters via a disc of plated steel. this bolts to the rim of the vessel sandwiching the neck of the bladder between the two, This bit of metal had a pin hole rust through it. Thet is the only place steel is in contact with the water.

[blackrose]

Hamsterfan, also as a fellow professional, I agree, BLUE and WHITE only for potable water vessels, although the RED is pretty much the norm in most boats. Screwfix, or any good high street merchant sell the correct ones for a pretty good price.

 

I couldn't find the correct ones from Screwfix? I rang them specifically to ask if they had water potable, but their red tanks are for heating systems. The only one I found was this white one but it's too small.

 

http://www.screwfix.com/p/ariston-europrisma-2ltr-water-heater-expansion-vessel-non-return-valve/21261

 

I'm not a professional, but as an amateur I've bought 2 red tanks from Uxbridge Boat Centre now which have stainless insides.

Edited December 12, 2012 by blackrose

[bizzard]

Chat with your friendly publican, a stainless steel small 'I think' 9 gallon beer keg make Firkin good expansion vessels, especially if there's beer left in it. Already pressure tested too.

I used to use one as an extra air pressure receiver for paint spraying.

[alan_fincher]

Chat with your friendly publican, a stainless steel small 'I think' 9 gallon beer keg make Firkin good expansion vessels, especially if there's beer left in it. Already pressure tested too.

I used to use one as an extra air pressure receiver for paint spraying.

9 gallons is about 40 litres - more the size of a small calorifier, than a typical expansion vessel!

[bizzard]

9 gallons is about 40 litres - more the size of a small calorifier, than a typical expansion vessel!

Like an engines silencer ''expansion chamber, the bigger the better. Although not for that purpose they are of much better quality than most purpose made water expansion vessels, they're made to stand being thrown about ''under pressure'' and will last for ever, and of course much cheaper if you can get one for nothing.

Could of course go up to a Kil 19 gallons, even better, or even a barrel which I think are 40 galls, all of which can be had in stainless steel.

Edited December 12, 2012 by bizzard

[blackrose]

Like an engines silencer ''expansion chamber, the bigger the better. Although not for that purpose they are of much better quality than most purpose made water expansion vessels, they're made to stand being thrown about ''under pressure'' and will last for ever, and of course much cheaper if you can get one for nothing.

Could of course go up to a Kil 19 gallons, even better, or even a barrel which I think are 40 galls, all of which can be had in stainless steel.

 

Waste of space.